Difference between Anxiety Drugs and Depression Drugs

[damaralenoire]

Can anyone tell me especially UK peeps,

What medication they are prescribed for Anxiety and what they are prescribed for depression, Cos having been DIAGNOSED with severe Anxiety, The anti depressants I am on called MIRTAZAPINE 45MG do nothing for me just like when i was on Citalapram 40mg and Venlafaxine 200mg

Doctor keep telling me that the ealth problems i go to him about are all Anxiety related and yet it does not seem like i am taking anything directly fo Anxiety but for depression caused from the anxiety

[Robbed]

For the most part, the same drugs used to treat depression are used to treat anxiety. In fact, the most common antianxiety drugs are SSRI antidepressants. Of course, there are specific antianxiety drugs such as the benzodiazepines and buspar. But doctors generally don't like to prescribe benzos for anything other than short term use because of addictive qualities (although SSRI antidepressants can have their own addictive qualities as well).

So do SSRI antidepressants really work for anxiety? Well, it's kind of a crapshot. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. But then again, the exact same thing can be said about the effectiveness of SSRI antidepressants for treating depression.

[dragonslayer428]

It took a lot of time and patience for me to find the right medication combo. It really is a 'crap shoot.'

Some people respond well with SNRI's for anxiety. For me, they made me way more anxious and now I realize my body tolerates SSRI's much better.

The Dr has no way of knowing which med will work for you unless you try it. If by 4 - 6 weeks, you see no results (or unbearable side effects), then it's time to talk to your Dr about switching to another medication.

Sometimes it can feel like a rollercoaster and make me feel like a guinea pig, but I've just learned to listen to my body and always express how I'm feeling to my Dr (when I switch meds, I see my Dr every 2 weeks until I feel ok...then I see him once a month).